one we're lamely calling the fiscal cliff. the way republicans in congress and the president solved the debt ceiling crisis was to build this cliff, that we're now supposedly dangling off of. they invented this deadline we're up against. the debt ceiling fight was a disaster, and now republicans, surprise, want to have that fight again. "the new york times" reports that one idea bouncing around the right side of the aisle is this. the republicans will extend tax cuts for the middle class, and then when they need to raise the debt ceiling, quote, demand deep concessions on medicare and social security as a price to raise the debt ceiling. one republican senator reportedly called the debt ceiling the line in the stand. the odds are pretty close to zero that we mint a $1 trillion coin in order to pay off some of the debt. but there's striking movement in the direction of changing the rules so we don't ever have to fight over this completely unnecessary issue ever again. remember, this is important. the debt ceiling isn't about in